Biblioklept ~ Short Stories

the little match girl

The woman struck the match, watching as it lit into flames. The fires always reminded her of a story her mother told her as a child. A story her mother would tell whenever she lit a match. The story of the little match girl.

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It was cold. The type of cold that chilled you to the bones. Everyone was smartly at home, in the warmth, far away from the little alleyway. Everyone except for Lille. She was the only one in the little alleyway.

The music from the houses beside her swept into the streets, the parties above reminding her just how alone she was. Her grandmother would always come with her, keeping her warm and helping her sell the matchsticks, but she couldn't today, she couldn't ever again.

Lille had tried to move, but she couldn't. Her boots were frozen to the ground. She could no longer feel her hands or nose. She was starting to freeze.

Cautiously, she pulled a matchstick from the little box. Her eyes glancing back and forth, scared her father would find her wasting the matchsticks. That would never end well. She lit her first match, and a warm glow and happiness spread throughout the alleyway. The little fire warmed Lille's hands. She felt much better than she had in weeks. The last time she felt this relieved had been with grandmother over a month ago.

The match burnt out, and she immediately lit a second one. She continued this until there was only one matchstick left. She only felt doubt about lighting it for a second before the cold sank in again. She needed to do this.

She lit the match and immediately felt warm again. She felt so tired and peaceful, like she could just take a nap. Sheltering the match, she leaned down into the fluffy snow and closed her eyes.

She opened her eyes what felt like just a second after she closed them, to see an aging woman leaning over her.

"Lille?" the woman asked. She looked exactly like her grandmother, but that was impossible. Her grandmother had died a month ago.

"Oh Lille, don't be scared, it's going to be alright," she said.

"Oh, look!" Lille said, pointing to a falling star, "my grandmother said it meant someone was going to heaven."

The old woman just nodded, a solemn look on her face. "Would you like to hear a story?" she asked.

Lille nodded.

The old woman sat beside Lille, and started telling her her favourite story, one her grandmother always told her. Lille smiled and fell asleep leaning against the woman.

Her grandmother smiled down at her granddaughter. At least her passing had been peaceful, getting to live out her favourite story. Her grandmother disappeared, leaving only the frozen body of a little girl. The body of a little match girl.

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Word Count: 473